Custody Rights & the Path to Redemption
You may remember the film, Shawshank Redemption, a 1994 film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, based on the Stephen King short story, Rita Hayworth & Shawshank Redemption. A fantastic…
Paying Child Support as Disabled Parent
Divorced or separated parents often find themselves under a court-ordered obligation to provide financial support for their children. That‘s Minnesota Courts are required, when issuing orders about custody and parenting…
A Parent’s Duty to Support a Child: Broad & Sweeping
Minnesota Courts have broad discretion in providing for the support of minor children. This has been explained many different ways by the Minnesota appellate courts. In Minnesota, our lawmakers established…
Spousal Maintenance and Standard of Living in Minnesota
Marc and I have been practicing law together for 10 years; and before that we practiced at different firms for many years. During our combined 40+ years of practicing law,…
Minnesota Child Support: a Handshake Is Not Enough
The Minnesota Supreme Court was recently asked whether a ‘handshake’ agreement between parents to pay support for their child is enforceable in Minnesota. Their answer was … “no”. This announcement…
All In The Family: the Importance of Exclusivity
Some of us are old enough to remember the Archie Bunker archetype, and the disdain for his in-law Mike ‘Meathead’ Stivic famously portrayed in the iconic All in the Family…
POST NUPS: UNCONSCIONABLE OR JUST A BAD DEAL?
We occasionally get asked about post nuptial agreements; an agreement between spouses who wish to stay married but separate their property rights. Post nuptial, like pre nuptial agreements, define property…
Karon Waivers & Fake News: Proceed With Caution!
Despite lacking clear definition, the term “fake news” now frequently appears in political discourse. Without objective, universally-accepted criteria, it can be hard for consumers to discern what the term “fake…
Fraud: Anathematic to an Otherwise Enforceable Divorce Agreement
Divorces are frequently resolved by agreement, rather than litigation. Courts have long favored settlement of disputes without litigation. Hentschel v. Smith, 153 N.W.2d 199, 204 (Minn. 1967). In family court,…
“Words Speak Louder than Action”: Child Support & Parenting Time in Minnesota
I was reviewing a recent Minnesota Court of Appeals decision, Nelson v. Nelson (A22-0077) and, came to the conclusion that the old adage “actions speak louder than words” rings true…